November Message from Steven L. Strongwater, MD, CEO

The information below is an employee update of activities at Stony Brook University Medical Center prepared by Stony Brook University Hospital CEO, Steven L. Strongwater, MD. Dr. Strongwater distributes a monthly update that is sent to all hospital faculty and staff to communicate initiatives and activities undertaken at the Medical Center to reach goals in the areas of patient safety, patient satisfaction, and community connections.

---

View Past CEO Updates 

Times are changing in healthcare! Returning from the University Health System Consortium (UHC) Board Meeting and UHC’s Annual Quality Meeting, there are several trends everyone believes are immutable. Here is a quick summary to keep you up to date. There is agreement that there will be:

1. Increasing transparency. This relates to hospital and physician performance as well as patient outcomes. Just as consumers can now query hospital core measures online (Hospital Compare Web site), there will be more complete profiles of physicians, hospitals, and other parts of the healthcare delivery system.
2. Pay for performance. Historically reimbursements for hospitals and physicians were based on a single patient interaction or series of interactions referred to as a fee for service reimbursement system. The fee for service system will shift to what is referred to as an episode of care system, with penalties for poor outcomes.
3. Population medicine. Although the focus of care will remain on the individual, there will be a much greater emphasis on interventions impacting large groups of people. This will couple nontraditional partners with healthcare organizations to improve health and wellness. For instance, likely there will be community/school partnerships to improve lifestyle decisions (e.g., exercise, better nutrition choices) and technology company partnerships for exercise and medication reminders, and telemedicine.
4. Avoidable hospitalizations. The consequence of population-based medicine will be fewer hospitalizations. This will have an impact on the number and type of hospital beds needed to serve the nation’s healthcare needs.
5. Reliance on technology. The nation is swiftly moving toward computerization of our phones, homes, and automobiles. Healthcare will be no different. Just as Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC) has computerized physician order entry and electronic medical records, so too will physician offices and patients have their own electronic records (i.e., electronic personal health record).
6. Providers will change. The traditional model of care has been a physician-patient interaction. This is evolving to a team model of care with reliance on providers like pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Though poorly named, this model has been referred to as the “medical home” (poorly named because many patients think this relates to being placed in a “nursing home”).
7. Networks. Because of the need to provide population-based medicine, networks of physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers are going to coalesce into larger networks. The scale of these networks will keep costs down through better coordination and quality monitoring.

Since the inception of Medicare and Medicaid in the mid 1960s, healthcare has been changing. We have witnessed the rise of managed care, fixed reimbursements to hospitals for episodes of care (e.g. the diagnostic related group reimbursement model—DRG’s), the creation of specialty hospitals (e.g., heart or orthopedic specialty hospitals), home care, for-profit healthcare organizations, free-standing imaging and lab companies, to name but a few innovations in care. The trend for innovation and experimentation to improve outcomes and reduce costs will continue. SBUMC must change as well to keep pace.

We are pleased to announce that SBUMC has launched a community-based physician network, called Stony Brook Community Medical, PC. (SBCM). Stony Brook Community Medical has begun hiring physicians to create a community physician network. These physicians will continue to work in their existing offices, but become part of SBUMC’s extended network, linked electronically and adopting best clinical practices and protocols using evidence-based medicine and expert advice from SBUMC faculty. We anticipate the result will be better care, more avoidable hospitalizations, better care coordination (fewer readmissions), and a more stable framework for health reform. As healthcare changes, SBUMC will continue to focus on what is most important—patient outcomes. We will zero in on improving patient safety, quality, and satisfaction.

We are very pleased to welcome Eastern Suffolk Cardiology as our first group of community-based cardiologists. 

STONY BROOK PRIDE

Stony Brook University Medical Center (SBUMC) is designated a Gold Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company! The Medical Center was recognized by the American Heart Association for championing the health of our employees and creating an environment of supporting physical activity in the workplace. Thanks go to Barbara Poliwoda and Maria Loret de Mola for preparing and submitting the application.

SBUMC study results are reported in the journal Gastroenterology. Researchers in the Division of Cancer Prevention in Stony Brook’s Department of Medicine have discovered that a novel derivative of sulindac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) known to prevent colon cancer, is more effective and safer than sulindac in preventing colon cancer in animals. The study results are reported in the October issue of the journal Gastroenterology, and online at www.gastrojournal.org. Stony Brook researchers led the team, including Gerardo Mackenzie, PhD, Research Scientist, Division of Cancer Prevention, the lead author, and co-author Basil Rigas, MD, DSc, Professor of Medicine and of Pharmacology, and Chief of the Divisions of Cancer Prevention and Gastroenterology.

SBUMC researcher and team advance Lyme disease research. Benjamin Luft, MD, Professor of Medicine, and a team of medical researchers have determined the genetic blueprint of 13 strains of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The finding is crucial to advancing research on Lyme disease, and may lead to better diagnostics and a vaccine. Dr. Luft presented the research results at an October 11 meeting in Washington, D.C., at the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences. The study is reported in the early online edition of the Journal of Bacteriology at http://jb.asm.org.

Stony Brook University Medical Center’s Emergency Department Follow-up Office is recognized. The Follow-Up Office was featured on the Robert Woods Johnson Web site for “Best Practices.” The article cites the Office as a unique way to bridge the gap between emergency care and the community. The program promotes continuity of care and has been well received by community physicians. Congratulations to Judy Specht, RN, and the entire staff.

SBUMC continues successful efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. SBUMC is the only hospital in New York to formally partner with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on reducing its carbon footprint. Now in its second year of the EPA Green Memorandum of Understanding, much of the success has been in the area of solid waste reduction through recycling and reuse. To move to the next level, Jill Kavoukian, Associate Director, Environmental Health and Safety, has created a Hospital Energy Working Group to identify opportunities to reduce our energy consumption as well as to implement these strategies with measurable objectives and goals. As this work advances, updates will be provided. Congratulations to Jill for her dedication and leadership in this important work, and to all who have become increasingly conscious of the need to be environmentally sensitive and prudent.

Stony Brook Assistant Professor is a 2010 recipient of the National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award. Balaji Sitharaman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University, is one of a select group of early-career biomedical researchers nationwide to receive the award, which includes a five-year $1.5-million grant. Dr. Sitharaman is engineering a nanotechnology-based theranostic (integrating therapeutic and diagnostic) technology for combined noninvasive imaging and targeted treatment of bone loss, a major health problem worldwide due to trauma, disease, and aging, including menopause.

First “Meeting of the Minds” was a huge success. On September 24, The Institute for Advanced Neurosciences held its First Meeting of the Minds Symposium at the Charles B. Wang Center. Over 225 registered for the event that brought together basic scientists, translational researchers, and clinicians focusing on cerebrovascular disease and stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and regeneration, and neuro-oncology. Dr. Robert Adams, Professor of Neurosciences and Director of the REACH Program at the Medical University of South Carolina, served as the keynote speaker and described the use of telemedicine as a tool for the providing rapid diagnosis and treatment for stroke patients over large regional areas. Dr. Raphael Davis and Dr. Patricia Coyle, Co-Directors of The Institute for Advanced Neurosciences, introduced the expert panel of speakers that included an array of East and West Campus talent Helene Benveniste, MD, PhD, Patricia Coyle, MD, Robert Galler, DO, Agnes Kowalska, MD, Joel Levine, PhD, Barry Lieber, PhD, Allen Meek, MD, Lorne Mendell, PhD, Sue Ann Sisto, PhD, Stella Tsirka, PhD, and Henry Woo, MD. Due to the success of the event, it will be planned in a larger venue for next year.

Congratulations to the November Employee of the Month. Patrick Callan, Sterile Supply Tech in the Department of Materials Management Services, was selected as the Employee of the Month for November. Described as responsible, dedicated, and extremely dependable, Mr. Callan shows great pride in his work and deeply cares for the well being of patients. He is willing to take on any task that is asked of him from building carts for the OR and stocking code carts to helping the night shift pack the shelves. He often goes out of his way to help his co-workers and other Hospital employees, and displays a work ethic that is appreciated by all.

Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University is awarded a National Institutes of Health grant. Danny Bluestein, PhD, received the five-year, $7.5 million grant, marking the first time a Stony Brook professor has received a Phase II Quantum Grant, given by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), a division of the NIH, to make a profound improvement—or quantum leap forward—in healthcare. Dr. Bluestein’s project involves testing and optimizing the designs of various cardiovascular devices with the goal to eliminate the need for anticoagulation therapy for patients with these devices.

Stony Brook physician is awarded 2010 School of Medicine “Outstanding Recent Graduate” Honor. Jared Huston, MD, ’01, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Trauma, General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care and Burns, was selected for this annual award from the School of Medicine for demonstrating through professional development, research, and/or community involvement a desire to make a contribution to and a difference in our society. He was nominated by Tara Huston, MD, also a graduate of the Class of 2001, and received the award during the Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony held in conjunction with the White Coat Ceremony on September 19. 

SBUMC’s Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery presents at prestigious venue. World renowned for his expertise in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal disease, Roberto Bergamaschi, MD, PhD, presented a lecture on “Laparoscopic Surgery for Diverticulitis” to an audience of well over 1,000 surgeons and other attendees at a plenary session of the American College of Surgeons in Washington, D.C. SBUMC was exceptionally well represented by Dr. Bergamaschi. Many thanks to him and to the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery for their efforts.

SBUMC reaches a milestone: More than 1,000 Facebook fans! Last year, SBUMC entered the world of social media with a Facebook page with a simple mission to share news of our work, research, accomplishments, and events. Starting with just a handful of Facebook followers, word spread through posters, flyers, emails, and word of mouth, and the fan base quickly grew. If you’re not already a fan, please join us on Facebook today and encourage your friends, family members, and co-workers to do the same. From your home computer, go to www.facebook.com, type Stony Brook University Medical Center in the search box, and click on the “Like” button. If you don’t yet have a Facebook account, signing up is fast and free.

Applications for Stony Brook’s Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics track in the Master of Arts in Biological Sciences are now being accepted. Courses begin in the spring 2011 semester. Named for the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics founded in 2008, the new MA track will serve students from a wide range of disciplines and professions. The Center encourages MA applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including nursing, social work, ministry, journalism, philosophy, humanities, the social and life sciences, administration, business, the arts, law, public policy, religious studies, and others. Applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree without professional experience are welcome, as are clinicians and other professionals. For more information on the Center and the master’s track, visit www.stonybrook.edu/bioethics/MA.

PATIENT SAFETY

Stony Brook Children’s Hospital poster is accepted. The Greater New York Hospital Association Foundation and United Hospital Fund accepted a poster submitted by the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology subcommittee for presentation at the 21st Annual Symposium on Health Care Services in New York: Research and Practice on November 3, highlighting outcomes relating to a successful decrease in central line related infections for this high-risk population. The CLABSI (central line associated bloodstream infection) rate has decreased 87 percent in 2010 as compared to the same time period last year. Congratulations!

Improving pneumococcal and influenza screening and vaccination rates. Representatives from Clinical Informatics, Nursing, and Continuous Quality Improvement met to identify and remove obstacles that prevent perfect compliance with pneumonia and influenza screening and vaccination core measure rates. Opportunities for improvement were identified and implemented, while additional process changes are forthcoming. This group will continue to meet and monitor SBUMC’s success and institute changes to the process, as needed, to ensure compliance with these core measure metrics. As a result of recent process changes, pneumonia core measure compliance for 15N hit an all-time high of 96 percent compliance (154/159) for pneumonia screening, and 98 percent compliance (50/51) for administration of pneumonia vaccination during the month of September. Congratulations to all!

SBUMC celebrates National Quality Month. A celebration was held in the Hospital Lobby on October 13. Included in the exhibit were posters displayed at various national quality and clinical conferences during the past year and a selection of Patient Safety Friday presentations, in addition to quality efforts demonstrated during nursing quality spotlights. Posters depicting core measure data for each of the core measure sets, information about composite scores, the impact on reimbursement, and the proliferation of public report cards were also displayed. Quality Management staff was on hand to explain the various initiatives and answer questions. The event attracted the interest of our staff, patients, their family members, and members of the community.

SBUMC's Patient Safety Fridays program is featured on a national webinar. The National Patient Safety Foundation in Association with the National Association of Public Hospitals requested that the Medical Center present on the Patient Safety Fridays program during a webinar that included best practices for improving the culture of safety. Carolyn Santora presented the Medical Center’s process and discussed outcomes to a national audience on September 23. The presentation was titled “Integrating Safety, Quality, and Operations to Become a High Reliability Organization.”

Quality Management staff member earns American Society for Quality Certification. David Harris earned the Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Certification offered through the American Society for Quality. A Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence facilitates and leads team efforts to establish and monitor customer/supplier relations, supports strategic planning and deployment initiatives, and helps develop measurement systems to determine organizational improvement. Additionally, the Certified Manager motivates and evaluates staff, manages projects and human resources, analyzes financial situations, determines and evaluates risk, and employs knowledge management tools and techniques in resolving organizational challenges. Congratulations, David!

Get vaccinated against influenza. Influenza is a serious respiratory disease caused by a virus. An average of 36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations related to seasonal influenza occur in the U.S. each year. It is contagious for 24 hours before any symptoms develop. Though everyday preventive actions (e.g., handwashing) can help prevent transmission of the virus, the best way to avoid influenza infection is to get vaccinated. As healthcare workers, it is our responsibility to protect ourselves from influenza and avoid spreading the influenza to others. To date more than 2,600 employees and 523 clinical students have been vaccinated. Vaccines are still available through Employee Health and Wellness for employees with “Hospital Access” designation; please present your hospital identification badge when you stop in for your vaccine. For the convenience of employees who work weekends and night shifts, mobile carts provide an opportunity to get vaccinated. A Hospital Flu Fair was held September 28 through 30, and vaccines were available at the Ambulatory Care Pavilion, Tech Park, Grand Rounds, and the Residents Conference. The POD was done on October 20, where a total of 590 vaccines were given to 67 employees and 523 clinical students. For questions, call 444-7767.

PATIENT SATISFACTION

Press Ganey scores for the third quarter are posted on the Hospital Intranet. Compared to the second quarter, scores went up slightly on the inpatient, NICU, and outpatient oncology surveys, down on the ED survey, and remained the same on the outpatient survey; however none of the changes were statistically significant. Outpatient units Endoscopy and the Breast Care Center and the post-partum and orthopedic inpatient units scored above the Hospital average. Ultrasound improved significantly compared to last quarter. Response to concerns and complaints, being kept informed, and waiting time remain priority items as they are highly related to overall satisfaction.

Units are working to improve patient satisfaction. 11N is making efforts to help improve patient satisfaction for the unit and help SBUMC meet the goal of improving the HCAHPS “likelihood of recommending” score. The unit is implementing bedside rounding, creating scripts that help set parents’ expectations, and expanding the use of service recovery. To improve patient satisfaction in the outpatient EEG facility at Tech Park, the proven strategies of scripting and making discharge calls are being employed. The goal is to improve the unit’s ratings on several key survey issues, including waiting time, response to concerns, and staff working together to provide care.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Your Voice. Our Shared Future. Share your thoughts and ideas on the Hospital “Employee Partnership Survey.” Surveys, accompanied by a letter from Hospital CEO Dr. Steven Strongwater, were mailed to the homes of all Hospital employees on October 25. The confidential survey is being conducted by the consulting firm Press Ganey Associates in an effort to learn what employees think about the work environment and culture at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH), and to make meaningful changes and improvements based on the feedback. Complete your survey and return it to Press Ganey by Friday, November 19. Be a part of it. Your voice will be heard. For questions, call 444-4700.

Another successful Suffolk County Heart Walk hosted at Stony Brook. For the second year, the only American Heart Association (AHA) Start! Heart Walk in Suffolk County was hosted by Stony Brook. More than 1,370 walkers participated (in addition to 25 dogs!) on October 16, and more than $114,000 was raised. A total of 156 teams walked, 88 of which were Stony Brook teams. Student participation was strong, with 411 walkers joining 21 teams and raising nearly $8,115.00. The Community Service Club was the top student club performer with 103 walkers and more than $2,315.00 raised. In addition, our students sold more than 300 “hearts." This year, three patients who received left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) at SBUMC shared their inspirational stories. Many attendees took advantage of the child-friendly activities and health information fair and screenings that were offered. Walk Chair Lee Anne Xippolitos, RN, PhD, Chief Nursing Officer and Dean, Stony Brook University School of Nursing, and Vice Chairs Luis Gruberg, MD, Director, Cardiovascular Catheterization Laboratories and Co-Director, Stony Brook University Heart Center, and Todd Rosengart, MD, Chair, Department of Surgery, Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Co-Director, Stony Brook University Heart Center, are grateful for the support of the Stony Brook family in the fight against heart disease.

Change for Children campaign kicks off to help support SBUMC’s new Children’s Hospital. Through a partnership with the Suffolk County Schools Superintendents Association, Children’s Hospital Task Force members are distributing spare change collection boxes to elementary schools within Suffolk County during the 2010-11 academic year. Special fundraising events and/or drives for middle school and high school students will be coordinated upon request. Two Task Force members, Janine DeSimone and Theodora Pellicane, are co-chairpersons for the Change for Children Campaign. Academy Street Elementary School, part of the Bayport-Blue Point School District, graciously hosted a school assembly on October 5 for their kindergarten through 5th grade students to present their collected funds. Peter Ferentinos, a member of the Stony Brook University Medical Center Development Council pledged to match the amount collected. As an incentive for students, Panera Bread is donating gift certificates to students who participate in the “Change for Children” campaign. In addition, AMF Bowling is donating a bowling party per grade per school, and Gold Coast Bank and Patriot Courier Services have offered bank cars to pick up collection boxes and personnel for accounting purposes.

Cancer Services hosted the first La Herencia Hispana. The program, conducted entirely in Spanish, was held on October 4, and touched on preventive measures such as mammography, PSA, colonoscopy, PAP smears, and smoking cessation. Jennifer Fitzgibbon, nutritionist, lectured on how nutrition affects cancer treatment and outcomes and prepared protein-rich, easily made, nutritious inexpensive shakes for the group. Linda Bily explained the resources available to all cancer patients through SBUMC’s Cancer Center, Ruth Alvalle presented for the American Cancer Society, and Maria Gonzalez reviewed the Medical Center’s financial assistance program.

Local businesses raise funds for SBUMC’s GIFT (Giving Inspiration, Fighting Together) Program. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, four local beauty salons, one yoga studio, a pizzeria, and a skydive drop zone held an event called "For the Cure," which will benefit our cancer patients through the GIFT Program.

The 10th Fall Fashion Festival was held. The Festival was held on October 14 at Villa Lombardi’s with 500 guests cheering for our administrators and medical staff as they took to the runway. The Parade of Survivors paid tribute to all patients with cancer who have overcome this disease.

Reflection Garden is dedicated. The dedication took place on October 27 at the Cancer Center for outpatient services. Many thanks to the Firefighters Support Network who had all the materials and labor donated. 

SBUMC's 7^th Annual Community Breast Cancer Update was held at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. The event, which took place on October 27, featured healthcare experts from the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center and the Medical Center providing the latest information on breast cancer and educational exhibits to promote breast health awareness.

Cultural Diversity Group presents Quality Spotlight! A total of 88 people signed in and many more stopped by the Hospital lobby to learn about cultural diversity. Posters and video and computer information were available to visitors.

SBUMC and St. James team up at first “Make a Difference Day.” This first-time event, a 5K race, was held on October 23 to help support the Sunrise Fund, which raises awareness about childhood cancer and raises funds for research and projects that benefit children with cancer. The event also honored the life of St. James elementary school teacher Sara Long Harte, who passed away this year. Students and teachers from St. James Elementary School and Mount Elementary in Stony Brook, along with SBUMC healthcare professionals and members of the Stony Brook and St. James communities participated. Held on the fourth Saturday in October, “Make A Difference Day” encourages families and individuals to get involved to improve their communities and “Get HandsOn,” and is sponsored by USA Weekend and the HandsOn Network.

Ceremony held to present Daniel Brooks Memorial Education Awards. On October 7, the Pediatric Oncology Department held a ceremony in the Hospital lobby to present the Daniel Brooks Memorial Education Award for Students with Cancer to 15 recipients. Awards are presented each year to students treated for cancer at SBUMC to help with their higher education costs. The award was established in memory of Daniel Brooks, whose spirit and dedication to education and children with cancer remains an inspiration. Although the awards have been distributed in the past, this is the first time a formal ceremony was held.

Stony Brook Cares campaign continues. Many have already donated to the many charitable organizations that need our help here on Long Island and around the world. If you have not yet made a pledge or donation, please consider giving back to the Stony Brook community by donating to a Stony Brook University-based charity. For information, visit www.stonybrook.edu/sb/stonybrookcares.

Walk for Beauty, Walk for Life benefits breast and prostate cancer research and SBUMC patients. SBUMC and the entire Stony Brook family were well represented at this annual event, held on October 3, which raised $50,000 for research at the School of Medicine. The Walk is co-sponsored by SBUMC and the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. The words of this year’s honorees were very touching as each person shared about her victory over breast cancer. Thanks to all the staff and students who volunteered alongside members of the event to make the day a success and special thanks to the Community Relations Department for doing a great job in coordinating the Walk.

22^nd Annual Run for Children benefits SBUMC’s Child Life Program. Congratulations on a job well done at the Run for Children, held on October 17 at Gelinas Jr. High School in Setauket. The run benefits the programs offered by the Medical Center’s Child Life program for the benefit of our pediatric patients.

Renowned physician will give talk about the latest cancer treatment. Join Dr. Michael Schuster on November 10 as he presents the latest information regarding technology and treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. The talk will be held in the Cancer Center at 7:00 pm. For more information of to register, call 444-4000.

Hats for Heroes, Veterans Day, November 11. Let’s help make this Veterans Day a great day for our U.S. veterans who reside at the Long Island State Veterans Home  (LISVH) in Stony Brook. A $5 donation will purchase a hat for one of our veterans who reside at LISVH. Brought to you by the UUP Community Services Committee. Please contact Heidi Ciolfi at Heidi.Ciolfi@stonybrook.edu or 632-7895.

SBUH Auxiliary’s “A Season of Giving Luncheon” to benefit SBUMC’s National Pediatric MS Center. Kick off the holidays with a sumptuous lunch, exciting silent auction, and many surprises at the Auxiliary's luncheon supporting the programs of the National Pediatric MS Center at Stony Brook University Medical Center, November 18, 11:30 am at The Watermill. A highlight of the luncheon will be the first “Woman of Distinction” award honoring Dr. Lauren Krupp, founder and director of the National Pediatric MS Center at Stony Brook and an internationally recognized expert in MS. For ticket information call 444-8096 or email johanna.biederman@stonybrook.edu.

“My Health, Your Health, Our Health: Let's Talk About It” program is scheduled. This program will be held at the Hyatt Regency Wind Watch on November 20. It will provide an update on breast cancer and on research (with emphasis on research that will benefit African Americans), and discussion groups on breast, cervical, prostate, and testicular cancer. The keynote speaker will be Brian Harper, MD, MPH, COO, and Medical Director, Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention. Contact the Witness Project at 638-4817 or 4816.

Learn about the advanced care offered at SBUMC’s Cerebrovascular Center. On Friday, December 17, beginning at noon in the Hospital lobby, visitors will have an opportunity to meet our experts and learn about the advanced capabilities and state-of-the-art technology available at the Cerebrovascular Center. RSVP to 444-4000.

Mark your calendar for the March of Dimes^® “March for Babies Walk^®” to take place at Stony Brook. SBUMC is pleased to host the 2011 Walk, tentatively scheduled for May 1, 2011, on West Campus. Co-Chairs for the event are Margaret McGovern, MD, PhD, and J. Gerald Quirk, MD. Jenny Tranfaglia, Founder of the Little Angel Fund, is the honoree. According to the March of Dimes Web site: “When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies.” A kickoff is tentatively scheduled for November 17 (watch for e-mail communications for details), to coincide with Prematurity Awareness week. For more information or to learn how you can help by becoming a Team Leader, call Adriann Combs, Regional Perinatal Center at Stony Brook University Hospital, 444-2359, or Ann Morrison at the March of Dimes, (516) 496-2103.

My Last Touch

Healthcare is defined by some as the treatment and prevention of illness. Although correct, in many ways this definition is hollow. What is missing? Can anyone be healthy without fulfilling human emotions like happiness? To suffer, after all, whether due to a physical or emotional ailment, is indeed a form of pain, and to be sad all the time is in fact to be depressed, a disorder we do treat with medication and all sorts of therapy. Perhaps the definition of health should also include freedom from suffering. 

Suffering occurs for many different reasons. Suffering can be physical, mental, emotional, psychological, or spiritual. Eric Cassell defines suffering as  “the state of severe distress associated with events that threaten the intactness of the person.” Medicine makes a powerful distinction between physical pain and suffering, with most of healthcare providers’ attention going almost exclusively to the treatment of pain. Perhaps it is easier for us to relate to and treat physical pain. Indeed, we have developed pain scales and we refer to pain as the fifth vital sign (in addition to blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and temperature). Isn’t it interesting that the most commonly used pain scale is a series of simple facial expressions ranging from a deep frown to a smiling face? What does this reflect if not suffering?

We have many words in the English language devoted to suffering that are well outside the definition of physical pain. For instance: grief, sadness, depression, disgust, rage, hate, heartbreak, remorse, hopelessness, emptiness, and self-pity, to name a few. Cassell has argued, “The obligation of physicians to relieve human suffering stretches back to antiquity. Despite this fact, little attention is explicitly given to the problem of suffering in medical education, research, or practice.” There is then a much broader context for health for all of us to consider.

To heal, to regain one’s health is therefore not simply curing and preventing illness. It requires something more. That something is compassion. Compassion is “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering” (Wikipedia). The word itself as a noun means, “to suffer together with.” Compassion is considered a virtue, one that requires the capacity for empathy, sympathy, and social connectedness. This harkens back to the “golden rule” of “do unto to others as you would have them do unto you.” Lack of compassion, by contrast, marks a person as cruel, and at its extreme, inhumane.

To succeed as healthcare providers, we must explore how to train for and to be compassionate. The pace of our lives is such that compassion can be easily overlooked. And yet, a simple compassionate act can profoundly influence suffering as much or more than pain medication. Arguably hard to teach, compassion must be an essential part of our training and orientation programs.

At SBUMC, we are working to be more compassionate and to infuse compassion into our work. We embrace the need for compassionate care, even in a complex academic medical center. As a training center we see this as an essential part of our mission. Please join us on this journey as we seek better ways not only to cure illness but also to facilitate healing and alleviate suffering. 

Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It crushes and destroys the pain of others; thus, it is called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed.
—The Buddha 

Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things.
—Thomas Merton 

Compassion is not sentiment but is making justice and doing works of mercy. Compassion is not a moral commandment but a flow and overflow of the fullest human and divine energies.
—Matthew Fox

Steven L. Strongwater, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Stony Brook University Hospital